How to Find the Right Career in 10 Easy Steps

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“What job is right for me?”

I’m sure you’ve asked yourself this at one point or another.

Figuring out what to do with your life isn’t easy. But you don’t need to feel pigeon-holed into a single career. Instead of treading a single path, many of us explore many different roads.

The key is to stay curious, grow in self-awareness, and not become paralyzed by all the choices at your fingertips. If you’re wondering what to do with your life and how to find the right career, these tips can help.

What job is right for me? How to find out

1. Research all of your options

When I was growing up, I only knew about traditional job options, like doctor, teacher, and firefighter. I didn’t know much about other industries because I hadn’t heard of them or they hadn’t been invented yet.

It’s tough to know what to do with your life if you don’t truly know what your options are. To learn more, speak to friends and colleagues. Do some research using the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you’re a student, speak to a career counselor.

Learn about different jobs and what skills and qualifications you need to get them. And remember that new roles are being invented all the time. One of the best skills you can have in our ever changing economy is the ability to adapt.

2. Take a personality assessment

A career should align with your strengths and interests. But what if you’re not sure what those strengths and interests are?

These tests also offer guidance on careers that match your personality profile. Remember that these tests are not meant to be limiting. Instead, they should expand your self-awareness.

3. Define your core values

Just as reflecting on your personal preferences will help you find direction, identifying your core values can too. What’s important to you? What contribution do you want to make in the world?

Maybe you place a high value on security and stability in your career path. Perhaps you need flexibility, adventure, and creativity. Some people thrive with structure and routine, while others feel miserable living a nine-to-five life.

Journaling is an effective way to root out your core values. Plus, it will help you step outside yourself and consider the impact you want to make. Once you’ve articulated what’s important to you, consider ways to align your values with a specific career.

4. Shadow someone at work

Growing up, I thought that working as a fashion magazine editor in a Manhattan skyscraper was the epitome of career perfection. Why? Because that was the storyline I saw in tons of romantic comedies.

It’s easy to get caught up in the image of a job without actually understanding its day to day responsibilities. If you’re intrigued by a position, try to shadow someone for a day or two.

Just because a job looks glamorous in the movies, or is the next step up on the ladder, doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Before committing to a new career or promotion, gain firsthand experience of what it’s actually like.

Internships can also teach you about an industry. Just make sure you’re getting an educational experience and not just fetching frappuccinos and lunch for the office.

5. Find a mentor

Mentors can play a powerful and influential role in your life. If you’re in college, find out if your campus has a mentoring program. If you’re working, you may establish an informal mentoring relationship with a manager or co-worker.

Effective mentors don’t just teach you how to be successful in your career. They also give you support and encouragement as you work toward your goals.

6. Volunteer or try a side hustle

Another way to explore careers is through volunteering or side hustles. You can test the waters of a new field without making a full-time commitment.

Plus, if you’re working without a paycheck, then you probably really enjoy the work. If you find something fulfilling, then you may find a way to turn it into a full-time job.

7. Build your growth mindset

Often, the only obstacle standing between you and the right career is yourself. If you don’t believe you can achieve a goal, you prevent yourself from doing so. This fixed mindset about your talents and intelligence becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Instead, you need to embrace what psychologist Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset.” With a growth mindset, you can shift our focus toward hard work and commitment. You see challenges as opportunities for growth, and setbacks as chances to try new methods.

Rather than worrying about your current abilities, focus on your potential. With effort and resilience, you can end up miles from where you started.

7. Take other people’s advice with a grain of salt

Have you ever gotten advice that rubbed you the wrong way? Even if people are trying to help, they’re limited by their own perspectives and life experiences. Even the best-meaning advice may be wrong for you.

Only you know what makes you tick. Listen to other people’s advice about what to do with your life — but take it with a grain of salt. Because no one knows you better than you know yourself.

8. Think about the sacrifices you’re willing to make

Even if you’ve identified your passion, you can’t expect to love your job all the time. There’s a reason they call it work. You may have to put in long hours, deal with uncomfortable situations, or stress over deadlines.

When exploring careers, think about which job would be worth some sacrifice. What are you willing to experience discomfort over? If you don’t believe in what you’re doing, then why suffer?

9. Take action

You’ve probably heard the mantras, “do what you love” and “follow your passion.” For many of us, these sayings don’t inspire. Instead, they paralyze.

These sayings suggest that we should find our passion and then act. However, the formula really works the other way around.

Passion isn’t typically something we’re born with, but something we develop. Only by taking action do we acquire skills, gain knowledge, and build our passion in a particular field. You won’t know what you’re most passionate about without trying many different things.

Don’t wait for a lightning bolt of inspiration to take action. Instead, follow your curiosity and see where it takes you. As philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre said, “There is no reality except in action. Man is nothing else than his plan; he exists only to the extent that he fulfills himself.”

10. Be the author of your own life story

Figuring out what to do with your life can cause a lot of stress and uncertainty. Choosing one path feels like you’re closing the door on others. Often, you must filter out the advice of other people and listen to your own voice.

What if instead of feeling stuck by your choices, you could feel liberated by them? Instead of freaking out over tough decisions, you could see them as opportunities to show the world who you really are.

There’s not necessarily a right or wrong answer when choosing a job. With each choice you make, you make your own reasons for doing so. You create your own meaning and become the author of your own life story.

Want to advance your career?

Our team at Student Loan Hero works hard to find and recommend products and services that we believe are of high quality. We sometimes earn a sales commission or advertising fee when recommending various products and services to you. Similar to when you are being sold any product or service, be sure to read the fine print to help you understand what you are buying. Be sure to consult with a licensed professional if you have any concerns. Student Loan Hero is not a lender or investment advisor. We are not involved in the loan approval or investment process, nor do we make credit or investment related decisions. The rates and terms listed on our website are estimates and are subject to change at any time.

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